NBA: 5 Teams That Should Trade For Derrick Rose
2. Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are reportedly fielding offers for Al Horford, Jeff Teague AND Kyle Korver — essentially, three of the four main players from the team’s core. If the Hawks are really looking to shake things up at the trade deadline, dealing Horford and Teague for Rose, Bobby Portis and a pair of future first round picks is certainly one way to spice things up.
From Atlanta’s perspective, the reason the front office is considering these changes is the team is no longer a 60-win squad with a puncher’s chance of winning a title. They’re a good but not great group in an Eastern Conference full of teams fitting a similar description, and with Horford hitting unrestricted free agency this summer, the front office is not crazy about the five-year, $144.5 million extension it might take to re-sign him.
Atlanta would be able to get better offers for Horford than this, but adding a starting caliber-like Rose would provide the team with a stopgap until the Hawks are fully comfortable with handing the reins over to Dennis Schroder.
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The Hawks would also get their hands on Bobby Portis, a promising 21-year-old rookie who is averaging 7.0 points and 4.6 rebounds in just 16.2 minutes per game. Portis has an ultra-competitive streak that’s reminiscent of Kevin Garnett, and he also has the ability to spread the floor with a perimeter jump shot — a trait that would make him valuable in Mike Budenholzer’s offense.
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The future first rounders would need to be negotiated out, since Atlanta would want them to be valuable (the Bulls would remain contenders through this trade, making the picks less valuable for the foreseeable future) without being too far into the future. But Rose would have a chance at a fresh start in Atlanta, where he could boost his trade value further or simply be let go next summer as a free agent.
For the Bulls, this deal would help mitigate Jimmy Butler’s absence for the next month or so, making for a formidable core of Teague, Butler, Horford and Gasol when healthy. Defenses would have a very hard time stopping that team, though Chicago would have its hands full deciding how to proceed with both Horford and Gasol hitting free agency this summer.
That being said, the Hawks will probably receive a superior, Godfather-esque offer from teams interested in Horford and/or Teague, and trading a fan favorite like Rose for another frontcourt player whose future would become a question mark in a few months isn’t the most advisable path for the Bulls.
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